As our first week comes to a close, all the students are well acclimated to the city, have been tuning up their French skills and are ready to start at their respective internships tomorrow morning! The French is flowing and new vocabulary is added each day (i.e., échafaudage) as they make new discoveries and interact with their host families and all the French people they encounter as they go about their days. The students have all remarked at one time or another that they have a good sense of the city and how to navigate the métro, and that they are feeling more "at home." We have walked til all our feet hurt (a sign that we are taking full advantage of the city!) and they now have a sense of the lay of the city and the different quartiers.
Yesterday we had a late rendez-vous. The students all met up and had omelettes for brunch and then some went shopping while others went to the Musée d'Orsay. We met up to go to an exhibit on 1900 Paris at the Petit Palais, but the line was too long so we decided to return to that another day and executed Plan B. We walked across the Pont Alexandre III - a magnificent bridge that is stunning with its gold-leaf sculptures on each of the four corners of the bridge. From there we took the bus to St. Germain des Près, walked through the Marché St. Germain and then through the Jardin du Luxembourg. As a reward for all the walking, we tested macarons from Dallayou -- they did not disappoint !
Last night was the annual Fête de la Musique - a celebration of music all across France. Music is everywhere and it ranges from seasoned musicians in some very well-staged venues to anyone who wants to set up on the street and start playing. Chloe, Annika and Piers' host father was taking his piano down to the street to play and sing himself! Unfortunately we were in another part of the city for dinner and the Seine River cruise and couldn't see him. It was a fun night as we strolled through the Latin Quarter to the Marais. We had dinner at a GCIP favorite restaurant - Chez Hanna on the famous rue des Rosiers - a Middle Eastern Restaurant that serves excellent fallafels, hummous, etc. From there we strolled back along the Seine, crossing bridges and hearing every type of music from traditional French songs to Jazz to drums to techno. After our picturesque cruise along the Seine, we walked into the heart of St. Germain des Près where everyone enjoyed an Amorino ice cream. We were on the rue de Buci where there were throngs of people and the atmosphere was festive! A huge techno dance party was in the street, so I held bags, got myself a tea and sat and enjoyed as the group joined in and danced for a while before we all headed home, fully satisfied and a bit exhausted, from another wonderful day in Paris!
It's another glorious day in Paris! We have a rendez-vous at métro La Muette and will go to the Musée Marmottan, a small museum in the 16th arrondissement that has one the most impressive collections of Impressionistic and Post-Impressionistic works. In fact, it houses the largest collection of Monet's works in the world. Post-visit I'm sure there will be some pâtisseries involved so that we can discuss what's ahead as the students transition into "work mode" tomorrow.
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